Portland Trail Blazers: 5 options for pick No. 24 in 2018 NBA Draft
By Ty Delbridge
2. Kevin Knox
- Height: 6’9″
- Weight: 209 lbs
- Age: 18
- Position: SF/PF
Kevin Knox was a one-and-done player from the University of Kentucky. He went into college as the No. 10-ranked player in the country. Knox is a talented player and would be a nice addition to this Blazers team.
In his only season at Kentucky, Knox averaged 15.6 points, 5.4 rebounds and 1.4 assists in 32.4 minutes per game while shooting 44.5 percent from the field and 34.1 percent from the 3-point line. At 6’9″, Knox can play both forward positions, and his game translates into today’s NBA.
Knox can handle the ball, drive to the basket, pull up from mid-range or the 3-point line, and is smart off the ball with his cuts to get open. His physical tools will allow him to be a decent defender in the NBA if he wants to be. He can also potentially play small-ball power forward.
Knox will be better in the NBA with better players around him and more space to work with. On the Blazers, he wouldn’t have to be the primary guy and would benefit playing next to Lillard and McCollum. Portland does not have a guy like Knox on its roster and won’t have the chance to get one in free agency either.
The Ringer compared him to guys like Jeff Green and Tobias Harris. I see Knox becoming more of a Harris type of player, and that would be a fantastic addition for the Blazers.
He is still young and developing his body and game. Knox didn’t have a fantastic season in college, and it’s causing him to slip a bit in recent mock drafts. Earlier this season, he was slotted as a top-10 guy. If the Blazers are on the clock and Knox is still on the board, they’d better not pass on him.